


Herbal Remedy

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-08-10 14:16:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7848286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alex gets Anne something to help with her horrendous period pain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Herbal Remedy

Alex was surprised when she returned to her bedroom at the manor and found the bed empty. But then she saw the blood on the sheets and heard the groaning from the bathroom, and she understood. It was about time that came back for Anne.

“Hey,” said Alex, gently opening the bathroom door.

“Have you come to put me out of my misery?” asked Anne, lifting her head from the cool toilet basin.

“Heat packs and pain pills?” asked Alex.

“Please,” said Anne. She rested her head on the basin again and closed her eyes. “And water.”

“Okay,” said Alex. She paused, considering. “Um, I’ve gotten more into the natural remedies now, so-“

“Alex, if you come back with a weird sludge to get rid of pain, I will throw up on you,” said Anne.

“Right, heh. Sorry,” said Alex, and grinned awkwardly. Anne glared at her, but then she closed her eyes again.

Alex wanted to get Anne the proper pain relief, but there was only one place to get it and it was too far away. So instead, she rode into Silverglade and visited the vet. While the woman usually helped animals, she also stocked medicines for humans. After all, a lot of the Jorvikians were like Anne- they didn’t like the herbal remedies.

“Alex Cloudmill? I haven’t seen you here for ages,” said the vet when she saw her. “How have you been?”

“Pretty good,” said Alex, and smiled. That was an understatement right now. With Anne back, everything was right again. “I just came to get some pain-relief pills. For humans. Humans with, um… menstrual cramps.”

“I thought you preferred the more natural pain relievers,” said the vet. “Have you seen the light?”

“No, they’re for my girlfriend,” said Alex. “She only trusts stuff from the chemist.”

“A wise woman,” said the vet. “How bad are they, do you know?”

“Um… I didn’t ask but usually it’s pretty bad,” said Alex. “I think she’s been throwing up all morning and she has a pretty high fever.”

“So the heavy stuff, then,” said the vet, picking out a white box with green on it. “Give her one of these to start with. I’ll also throw in these for the nausea and some iron tablets.” She added the two other bottles to the pile.

“Thanks,” said Alex. “You’ve got this weird way of knowing just what she needs.”

“Oh, it’s nothing magical,” said the vet, and laughed. “The Baroness called me over this morning about a poor animal in extreme pain.”

“And you just left her there like that?” asked Alex. “That’s cruel. She always has really bad pain.”

“Oh, it wasn’t long ago,” said the vet. “I got back not long before you came in.”

“That better be true,” said Alex. She wouldn’t let anyone hurt or upset her girlfriend, not anymore, not after everything that had happened.

“Yes, it’s true,” said the vet. “Though, if I’d known she was your girlfriend, I would’ve come back here straight away.”

“Is there anything else she’ll need?” asked Alex.

“A priest,” said the vet, and laughed. Alex had to smile at that. Anne always moped around a lot at this time of the month. “But I have to ask, is it always this bad? Because she should see a doctor about it. A real one, not me.”

“No, there were… strange circumstance,” said Alex. Normal people weren’t allowed to know about Pandoria. Even if this particular one had been witness to a Shadow Seeker invasion a few months ago.

“Alright,” said the vet. “That’s everything she’ll need, then.”

“For now,” said Alex. She paid for her items and left, thanking the vet as she walked out the door.

Anne had taken up a foetal position on the bathroom floor by the time Alex got back. Her arms were wrapped around her middle, and she gave little pained noises from time to time. Her hair was stuck to her face where she hadn’t wiped her mouth.

“I’m back,” said Alex. Anne made another pained noise and shuddered. “Come on, sit up.” She got down on the floor beside her girlfriend and pulled her up gently so that her back was against the wall. Anne shivered, looking alarmingly pale.

“How am I supposed to take those?” asked Anne, looking at the three pill packets Alex was holding.

“Take this one first,” said Alex. She tipped out one of the anti-nausea pills. “It says here that you chew on them. They’ll act faster that way.”

“I’ll try,” said Anne. Alex held the small pill up for Anne, and Anne gently took it between her teeth and chewed it. She shuddered as she swallowed. “Ugh. Did you bring me water?”

“Yes,” said Alex, picking up the water bottle that she’d placed beside herself. Anne took a sip, grimacing at the taste in her mouth.

“I’ve never thrown up from this before. I hate it,” said Anne, closing her eyes again.

“Is it because of…?” asked Alex, not wanting to mention it.

“I think so. I was frozen there so my body is slowly going back to normal,” said Anne. “I guess it’s making up for lost time.” Alex gently nudged her as Anne started to drift off again.

“Hey, you have to take this pain pill,” said Alex. “I hope it works.”

“Me too,” said Anne. The water had revitalised her enough that she could take the pill herself this time, though she almost choked. “You could’ve warned me that it wasn’t a capsule.”

“Oh yeah,” said Alex, looking at the box. “Oops.”

“Well, I only hope that that works,” said Anne. “Now, I’m going to bed.”

“Do you have a pad on?” asked Alex.

“No, I’ve been in here throwing up and passing out all morning,” said Anne. “Get me one?”

“Yes, your highness,” said Alex. Anne giggled.

After helping Anne into bed, Alex left the manor again and rode out of Silverglade, passing through Moorland. She knew exactly where she was headed, and exactly what she intended to get. She also knew that it was the right time of year to get it, so she wouldn’t have to contend with angry, pregnant spiders.

Alex picked as many seed pods as she could carry, and then she rode back to the winery with them. Anne was asleep, thankfully. She was still very pale, though, and her skin was hot to the touch. Alex checked the time, and found that she’d been gone over an hour. So the pill hadn’t worked, then.

When Anne made a little moaning noise, Alex opened one of the seed pods and loosened the fruit inside.

“Did it work at all?” asked Alex.

“Well, I don’t feel like I’m going to throw up, but my stomach is still trying to kill me,” said Anne. “At least it knocked me out, though.”

“Try this,” said Alex, holding the seed pod out to her.

“No,” said Anne, recoiling instinctively. “A plant won’t cure this, Alex, don’t be stupid.”

“I’ve been eating it for that since you left,” said Alex. “It really helps with the stomach cramps.”

“Alright, but I’m only doing this because I’m desperate and I just want the pain to stop,” said Anne. Alex grinned triumphantly and held the seed pod up to Anne’s lips. Though Anne wrinkled her dainty little nose up at it, she nibbled at one of the little fruits. Alex tried not to laugh at the strange faces Anne made as she first processed the strange new taste, then began to enjoy it, and finally took the pod from Alex and ate all of the fruits.

“I’m glad you liked it, because you need three for it to work,” said Alex.

“Can I eat these just for a treat?” asked Anne, quickly taking the next one from Alex once it was opened.

“Yeah but they only grow in one place,” said Alex. “In this place called The Cauldron, over in Epona.”

“You’ll have to take me there,” said Anne. “You know, you could’ve just told me that they’re delicious, then I wouldn’t have fought it.”

“I forgot that you like sour fruits,” said Alex, and laughed. “But I’m glad you like it. Maybe the endorphins will help ease the pain.”

“Well, I feel better already,” said Anne. She polished off her second seed pod and reached for the third.

“I’m glad,” said Alex. “Also, once you finish eating that, you might want to change your pad.”

“Hmm, good idea,” said Anne. “The poor Baroness will have to bleach her sheets to get the stain out.”

“Oh please, she wouldn’t wash her own sheets,” said Alex. “She’s a prissy little princess like you.”

“You’re right, she probably has the butler or someone do it,” said Anne. That said, she finished off her third seed pod and licked her teeth. Then, she grimaced. “Ugh. I need to brush my teeth.”

Alex grinned as Anne got up and walked over to the bathroom. Maybe she could convert her girlfriend to the wonders of natural cures after all.


End file.
